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Heli rot!

Hi
I have been growing Heli for about 15 years now.
But this year for the first time I have had a number of younger plants suddenly die from rot!
The pitchers suddenly shrivel and the base of the growing point where it is attached to the lower root stem is brown and rotten. But the rest of the stem below that point and the roots themselves are not rotten. So the problem is in the middle of the plant as it were.
The compost is a mixture of LFS and Seramis and has good drainage. I water the plants from above like my neps. And they are in the highland neps house.

Any ideas?

cheers

bill
 
Hmmm... I'm not sure what to do. Maybe a systemic antibiotic? I haven't had this problem before, but i'll look in to it and get back to you later.
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Bill,

the cause for the sudden death might be a fungal infection of the plants affected. Especially cuttings, where the fungus can enter through the wounds below the soil, and young plants are normally affected during hot summers. Another reason might be that they stood to weet. The roots easily rot when water logged.

According to an old post in the GFP-forum Andreas is using Euparen when plants are affected. Side effects are some deformed leafes.

Joachim
 
I myself have had a terrible time with trying to grow Helis, 0 for 2. I believe my problem is that I plant the crown to deep and keep it too wet.
If I get to try another one, I will make sure the crown is above the soil by using LFS to allow more air to reach the crown and keep it drier.
 
I just had a heli shipped to me by a relative. They sent it in an envelope in a ball of peat moss. Needless to say it came in a "jelly-like form".

Back on topic however, If the crown of the plants get wet, they rot. If the roots are also soaked and not well drained, the plant will also rot. Just from my experience.
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An experinced Heliapmphora advised me to repot my windowsill Heli to 1:1:1 live spaghnum moss:sand:perlite
In his experince they grow much more vigiously and easily when they are in that medium.
 
Honestly, Bill's growing conditions sound perfect. I know a guy in Liverpool whoc can grow these out of his-, well, you know. Anyway, he uses perlite/peat in a 2:1 ratio for the most part. The only thing I can think of is to use a higher ratio of the Seramis. I suppose you could water the compost less and make sure the pitchers are still full.

Cheers,

Joe
 
Probably too wet, I've been having the same problem, grow super for a few months then die off.
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thats exactly what happened to one of mine when i first got it shortly after. but the one i have now i have treated it with fungicide and insecticide. As last time when i looked at it under a magnifing glass there was small mites that seemed to help eat away at the plants base . ITs like a brownish black thats at the very base and the pitchers are very flexible as you can move them and everything and then after some time it spreads to the pitchers. I was told to seperate mine from those offshoots that were infected but after separating it they eventually got attacked.ITs terrible.I was succesful now so far as i dont water it as much.I think this is the cause. Good luck with those.
 
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